The next day, after classes, George was back by Polly's side. Fred was honestly surprised that George went to class. But it was like an entirely other person. George was paying full attention, and couldn't be distracted. He claimed he had to catch up Polly on the courses when she woke up. Fred knew it was just something to keep George going during this time, so he said nothing about it.
"We learned about werewolves today," George told her. "Weird creatures they are. I think you'd like them. You'd call them tortured and misunderstood or something like that. I just know you would."
Earlier that day, during lunch, Harry had come up to George, and asked to speak with him. All lunch, George had been pretending to himself that Polly was fine, so he could carry on without wallowing in sorrow. He wasn't willing to be all doom and gloom because he knew Polly was going to be just fine. Dumbledore promised that she would be fine, and George believed him. He just missed her a whole lot, and it had only been a day.
Harry and George walked outside of the Great Hall, away from the rest of the student body. Everyone seemed to be there, no one was brave enough to split up from the group.
"You seem better today," Harry said.
"Dumbledore promised she was going to be okay," George said, "I'm still mad about it though. Who would do this to Polly? The sweetest girl alive in my opinion."
"That's what I wanted to talk about. There are rumours going around that I'm the heir and I know..."
"I'm actually going to cut you off right there." George closed his eyes. "I do think it's you. I know you're the great great great grandson of Supreme Snakey and you're here to end the lives of muggle-borns, even though you care deeply for some of them; Hermione for example." George rolled his eyes, and smacked Harry on the back of the head. "Will you relax? I know it's not you, you muppet."
"Then why did you hit me?" Harry said, grinning a little.
George smiled. "Because that's what Polly does," he said, laughing. "She believed you, you know. So don't stay up at night wondering if this happened to her, and she was petrified thinking it was you. She trusted you, and defended you. So don't worry," George said.
"Thanks George, that's actually really good to know." Harry smiled. "I still feel awful."
"Me too, but if we mope about it, she'll have our heads when she gets back. She'll think we doubted Dumbledore."
"I can see it now," Harry said. "'If Dumbledore thought I was going to be fine then you should've been studying.'" Both boys laughed.
The next day, Fred and George were walking back from class when they spotted Ginny walking towards the common room. When she spotted them, she ran right over, and hugged George around the waist. He hugged her back, and Fred joined in. They knew what was probably wrong. "Hey, hey," George said, "she's going to be fine."
"She's been hurt! What if being petrified is painful?" Ginny asked, eyes leaking tears like a broken faucet.
George looked away, and Fred knew right away to take over. George had to excuse himself to the common room after that. He couldn't bare to think about it. Everyone says that it feels like nothing. But what if she's aware now, but will just forget all the memories from her time in hospital. What if? What if? What if? What if she felt like a prisoner in her own body?
George walked into the common room, and straight over to the window. Luckily, no one was there, because even if they had been, George probably would've stormed over anyway and scared them off. He slammed his books down on the table, and suddenly he was back to being angry. He tried to calm himself down.
Outside, fittingly, it was raining. It all fit together perfectly. Rain, Polly petrified, and now Lockhart's duelling club was tonight. If he was their last hope, then it didn't really feel like there was a lot of hope left. George didn't fell hopeful at all. The most he could wish for was himself to go to sleep and wake up when Polly was bouncing around, chatting about this or that. George had no intention of going to the club, but he thought it might make his mum feel better if she knew they were learning some defensive spells. She'd feel a lot better knowing Lockhart was the facilitator of this club. Fred was still talking with Ginny, so for a good twenty minutes George was left alone to think. That is, until Ron walked up with a letter in his hand.
"It's a letter back from mum," is all Ron said, handing the sheet of paper to George. He tried to shrug it off.
"I didn't write her," he mumbled, looking back out the window.
"Get a grip, what good is it to mope around? Finish what she started, you know that the first years she looked after are terrified, help yourself by helping them." Ron sounded so confident that George didn't even talk back. "And read this letter. I told mum about Polly and I think you oughta read her reply."
George took the letter. He skimmed past all the stuff talking about Harry and the Quidditch match, because he couldn't find it in himself to care. But, seemingly directed to George, Molly had written a few very powerful lines.
There is no greater loss than a person, especially when that person is right in front of you but still out of reach. There is no need to always stay strong. There is nothing wrong with feeling. You are part of a big family. And I don't just mean our blood ties, I mean Harry, and Hermione, and Polly, and Lee. Family does not stop at genetics, but I believe in my heart that you know this. So, you wanted advice about how to stay strong when facing loss, and my answer to you is family. But don't forget, Polly is part of that family. And right now what she needs is strength, so our family must pull together and be strong for her, and be there for her. Because, and this is only the most obvious reason, she would do anything, for any of us. I love you, and pass on my love to all the others.
"Getting mad, and slamming books, and looking out at rainy skies. That's not helping anyone. You're my big brother, I need you to be here and present and helping people feel less scared. Because that was Polly's job and she's gone right now. And don't forget Ginny, she needs all of us right now. So please, don't be moody," Ron said. George had only felt this proud of his brother twice before; when he was sorted in Gryffindor, and when he played the best game of chess Hogwarts had even seen.
"You're right," George said. "I'm right here, let's find Fred, Ginny, and Harry and get to the duelling club, yeah?"
"What can Lockhart teach us that we can't read out of a 'what-not-to-do' book?"
"He may be an idiot, but he still knows spells that we don't." George wouldn't hear another word on the matter. He had people to protect. He had Polly's people to protect. "And I bet it would make Ginny feel a bit better to have some context for when she would use what spells, okay?"
"I just hope he has help from other faculty, is all." Ron looked at the ground.
"Don't worry kid, I know he's not the sharpest knife, but we have things to cut – and he's the only blade who's willing to chop," George said. Ron looked at him with an eyebrow raised. It really was a ridiculous statement to make, but George still wasn't feeling very inspired; just motivated.
At the duelling club, seeing Lockhart dressed up in fancy garb, only made George's motivation shrink. But, if he didn't stay then who was going to tell Polly about it later. Look forward, and think of her. That helped George stay focused, believe it or not. Snape was beside Lockhart, looking like his usual self. His black robes just making Lockhart's seem even more ridiculous. In a room full of dull and black, he made sure he was a star. George wanted to run up, and ruffle his hair. Even if just to see what he would do. Fred was beside George, his arms crossed in a way that made him look like a bodyguard. Like a lot of students, he was hoping to see some action – but wasn't sure if he would actually learn anything. Duelling could be fun, though. Perhaps this would be a different experience entirely if Polly had been beside George, fluttering around: anxious someone was going to get hurt.
"Gather round, gather round. Can you all see me? Can you all hear me? Excellent," Lockhart said, dazzling the students with a toothy smile. He hadn't really listened for any answers, though. He was good at making it seem like he cared.
As Lockhart introduced the club and Snape, who looked less than pleased to be there, George was skimming the crowd. He saw Justin in the front of the other side of the fancy wooden stage. He looked excited, and it was nice to see him having a little fun. Polly would've wanted that. George thought he spotted Cedric over there, but he also knew that he wasn't the biggest Lockhart fan. So he may have left when he saw the blond take to the stage. George didn't really spot anyone else that he should have recognized, because he was standing with the people he cared about – minus one.
George was so zoned out looking around, he hadn't noticed that they had begun to duel. He snapped back into place when Lockhart was sent flying back, hitting the wall and sliding down it dramatically. George laughed with the rest of his friends. This was one of the rare times that the Snape had done anything to make such a large group of Gryffindors laugh.
Acting as if he wasn't just blasted onto his ass, Lockhart said, "There you have it! That was a disarming charm – as you see, I've lost my wand – ah, thank you, Miss Brown. Yes, an excellent idea to show them that professor Snape, but if you don't mind me saying so, it was very obvious what you were about to do. If I had wanted to stop you it would have been only too easy. However, I felt it would be instructive to let them see..." Was anyone buying this? George wasn't.
It was obvious that Snape wasn't buying it either, if looks could kill... they'd be picking out a coffin for Lockhart later today. Lockhart quickly went on, "Enough demonstrating! I'm going to come amongst you now and put you all into pairs. Professor Snape, if you'd like to help me..."
While the two teachers went around and assigned pairs, Fred put a gentle hand on his brothers shoulder. "You're doing great," he said. "Glad you wanted to come out and do something."
"We visit Polly at least once everyday, not much else we can do." George watch Justin and Neville stand beside each other, chatting and waiting. "I don't know if she'd care to know that Justin is about to duel. She'd probably freak about about the injustice of pitting two students against each other in a magical duel."
Fred laughed. "She'd go on about how this only encourages us to fight using magic instead of resolving problems with words."
"Which is so hypocritical because I know she would throw magic at anyone who hurt one of her cubs," George said, laughing as well.
"Weasleys!" Snape said, effectively ending their fun. "Pair up."
"We could've just assumed that," George whispered. Fred was ecstatic that even this chip of George's personality has returned to it's normal state. He was sad, but he was okay.
Once the whole room had been paired up – an interesting mix, seeing as Harry and Draco were matched up – Lockhart began instructing them on what to do. He made it clear that it was disarm only, but that seemed like 'hit your friend and give them no chance to defend themselves'. On three, everyone cast their spells, George's hit first sending Fred backwards through the air. He landed on his back behind Angelina, who laughed at her friend on the floor. Fred quickly scrambled to his feet, and marched forwarded, sending the same spell at his laughing brother. It was George's turned to fly back, and it resulted in his crash against Goyle, one of George's least favourite people.
"Watch it," he snapped, eyeing down George.
This whole scene was a disaster. It was just a bunch of students flying and crashing into everything. George snatched his wand of the ground and stomped over to Fred. Neither one fired. Polly would've started really hating this club right around now. Seeing people disoriented, and some a little hurt. Hermione had gotten put into a headlock for crying out loud, and Harry was facing off against Draco. It looked like a bomb had gone off in there.
"Well, mark this down as a failure," George said, looking around to make sure Justin was alright. He was fine, lying beside Neville in a heap. Both of them looked like they might be seeing a few stars.
"Yep," Fred said. "Might as well just let Harry open the chamber now and swallow everyone whole with his monster." George giggled at the statement. It was always fun to joke about Harry being the heir. "After this we should go see Polly, the poor thing, missing out on such a learning opportunity."
"She'll actually be upset, until we explain what happened."
Lockhart was fluttering around the room, helping students up. Acting as if this all wasn't his fault. Which made George scoff. If he was half the wizard he says he is then the chamber would already be closed and Polly would be up and at em' like everyone else. Full of dung, he is.
"I think I'd better teach you how to block unfriendly spells," Lockhart said. "Let's have a volunteer pair – Longbottom and Finch-Fletchley, how about you?"
"A bad idea, professor Lockhart. Longbottom causes devastation with the simplest of spells. We'll be sending what's left of Finch-Fletchley up to the hospital wing in a matchbox. How about Malfoy and Potter?"
"Excellent idea!" Lockhart said, beaming. How was this an excellent idea? Did Lockhart have any idea what was going on in the school? This was one of Snape's annoying moments. IT was almost as if he just wanted to stir the pot and get some kind of action going. Was he bored? Was that it?
Harry and Draco climbed onto the stage. One of the boys was smirking with confidence. As if Draco believed that he already won. He always acted like that. Completely higher than life itself. That whole family could eat rat poison for all George cared.
Each teacher spoke to a student briefly before the duel had started. Snape to Draco and Gilderoy to Harry. George thought it was an unfair advantage. Which it was. He just wasn't the most appropriated choice of teacher for this affair, but somehow, he was he one who had thought up this club. You'd think that they would have someone a little more... intelligent, for the title role in a duelling club. Lockhart left Harry to the duel, whisking his cape behind him in a grand act of showmanship. He was always performing for the crowd. Always.
"Three – two – one – go!" Lockhart shouted, smiling brightly.
Malfoy was the first to act, casting a spell that shot out a snake. Harry seemed stunned by the move, as Lockhart had said to disarm only.
"Don't move, Potter," Snape said, moving to get rid of the snake. "I'll get rid of it."
"Allow me!" Lockhart said. Couldn't this guy let anyone else to anything? Did he want to take the place of every teacher at Hogwarts? The spell he shot out at the snake fly into the air, and land on the ground. The only thing that had changed was that the snake was now much angrier. And looked much more ready to strike at anyone who made a move. George didn't want to see anymore of this, and was about to leave. But Fred grabbed his arm, and made him stay. And he was glad his brother made him watch the duel. Because Harry Potter, in front of a bunch of other students, began to talk to the snake.
The snake had aimed itself at poor Justin when George had turned his back. But as soon as Harry spoke to the snake, it fell limp. The look on George's face matched the rest of the crowd. He was shocked. It was quite the surprise that Harry was a Parselmouth.
Justin looked terrified. As if he actually believed that Harry made the snake want to attack him. It was absurd. Even after countless people, telling Justin countless times that Harry is controlling some underground monster – Justin's fear neglected to listen, so fear of Harry consumed him.
"What do you think you're playing at?" Justin asked before storming out of the hall. George felt the need to chase after him. So he did.
"Justin! Wait!" George said, barely catching the younger lad before he turned a corner.
"I'm not listening. After that! After that you still think he's innocent? You must be joking. I don't care what Polly would've believed at this point. Maybe if she had been afraid of Harry then she'd be standing with us right now. Maybe he told her to follow him, and when she did he told his monster to petrify her. No. I'm not listening to you, or anyone, anymore." Justin left quickly, leaving George stunned.
What was that?